It may be one of the world's most legendary trail races, yet keeping the adrenaline flowing for all 100 miles of the Western States Endurance Run is no mean feat. British runner Fiona Pascall cited an unlikely source behind at least a tiny bit of her success in finishing 5th in the women's race on her debut on the course.
Pascall posted on Instagram to reflect on the race, thank her crew and ponder whether it was being charged by a bear that helped her get through the notorious canyons. In her post, she said: "I'm not sure if it was the ice keeping me cool or the adrenaline from being charged by a bear that made the canyons better than expected, but getting through them feeling ok was an amazing feeling."
She didn't expand on the exact circumstances of the incident, or how long it lasted though, going on to thank the pacing services of Ian Sherman and the miraculous impact of using ice in the California heat.
What's next for Pascall?
The younger sister of 2021 Western States women's race winner Beth Pascall, Fiona bagged her 'Golden Ticket' after winning UTMB Chianti in March, a race in which she held the lead for several hours. This followed on from a fruitful 2024, when she won the 100-mile Julian Alps Trail Run in Slovenia, following on from her win at the Arc 50 – Arc of Attrition race on England's Cornish coast in 2023.
A Salomon UK ultra-runner, she lives in the Quantock Hills in England's southwest and fell in love with long-distance mountain running after taking on the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District National Park, a classic fell running challenge.
She and Western States 2025 winner Abby Hall will undoubtedly lock horns again at this year's Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in August. After winning Chianti, Pascall now has secured entry to both the 2025 and 2026 race. We'll be watching closely come August, that's for sure.
